To make sweet-and-sour pork, start by preparing a marinade for your chosen protein - typically pork loin or shoulder - which consists of 200g of the meat, one garlic clove, light soy sauce, rice wine (or dry sherry), salt and Chinese five-spice powder. Combine these ingredients in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
While the pork is marinading, prepare the sweet-and-sour sauce by whisking together apricot jam, cranberry sauce, lemon or lime juice, light soy sauce, and Chinese red vinegar. The key here is to use the lower in sugar option you can find - this will result in a less cloying sauce.
Next, cut up one onion into chunky diamonds and separate its layers as you go, slice a green pepper and chili into rings, and prepare any additional vegetables of your choice (like tenderstem or mangetout).
Now, it's time to make the batter - simply beat an egg in a bowl until thoroughly mixed, then whisk this with 60g of cornflour. Season the mixture with salt and a pinch of five-spice powder if you're using it.
Pour some neutral oil into a pan or wok and heat it up to around 180C (smoking hot). Dunk your pork in the batter, shake off excess, and then coat it evenly in a plate of cornflour.
Now, fry the coated meat for three minutes until golden brown - this will be enough cooking for now; you'll cook it again later.
Heat another tablespoon of oil in the pan to 190C (this is almost smoking hot). Fry the pork once more for just 30 seconds, until it's a lovely golden brown. Remove from the oil and transfer it into the sweet-and-sour sauce - toss everything together vigorously to coat the meat evenly. Serve immediately with egg-fried rice and some fresh greens to balance out the savory flavors of this classic Chinese dish.
While the pork is marinading, prepare the sweet-and-sour sauce by whisking together apricot jam, cranberry sauce, lemon or lime juice, light soy sauce, and Chinese red vinegar. The key here is to use the lower in sugar option you can find - this will result in a less cloying sauce.
Next, cut up one onion into chunky diamonds and separate its layers as you go, slice a green pepper and chili into rings, and prepare any additional vegetables of your choice (like tenderstem or mangetout).
Now, it's time to make the batter - simply beat an egg in a bowl until thoroughly mixed, then whisk this with 60g of cornflour. Season the mixture with salt and a pinch of five-spice powder if you're using it.
Pour some neutral oil into a pan or wok and heat it up to around 180C (smoking hot). Dunk your pork in the batter, shake off excess, and then coat it evenly in a plate of cornflour.
Now, fry the coated meat for three minutes until golden brown - this will be enough cooking for now; you'll cook it again later.
Heat another tablespoon of oil in the pan to 190C (this is almost smoking hot). Fry the pork once more for just 30 seconds, until it's a lovely golden brown. Remove from the oil and transfer it into the sweet-and-sour sauce - toss everything together vigorously to coat the meat evenly. Serve immediately with egg-fried rice and some fresh greens to balance out the savory flavors of this classic Chinese dish.
my wife makes it at home now and its just as good if not better but I have to say their version still holds a special place in my heart maybe its the nostalgia factor or maybe its just the way they use that special brand of soy sauce that only they have 
I think making sweet-and-sour pork is a great way to get those kids (and let's be honest, adults too) involved in cooking. You know, I've tried it a bunch of times with my family and we all love it! The best part is that you can customize it to your taste - if you like less sauce, just use more veggies or something. My little sister actually made the batter for me once 
(I didn't even tell her), but I'm pretty sure she was winging it... the key is to not overcook it, right? The sweet-and-sour flavor combo is just magic - I put it on my stir-fries all the time. I've been meaning to try a different type of protein, like chicken or tofu, but pork's where it's at for me 
! 30 minutes of marinating, multiple layers of breading... it's just too much work for a quick dinner fix. Can't we just use pre-made sauces and shortcuts to save time? 
I mean, what's wrong with ordering takeout from that new Chinese place downtown instead? 
. And what's with the "typically" and "usually" stuff? Who says pork loin or shoulder are the only options? Let people experiment! 
. The sauce instructions alone would give me a headache if I had to read them all again... 
Apricot jam and cranberry sauce, really? Can't we just use some honey and vinegar like normal people? 
and can we talk about how easy it is to make? i mean 30 mins of prep time? thats like, no big deal 
IT LOOKS LIKE A BUNCH OF EASY STEPS TO FOLLOW, AND THE RESULTS SHOULD BE AMAZING! I LOVE HOW YOU'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO MANAGEABLE CHUNKS, FROM MARINATING THE MEAT TO COATING IT IN CORNFLOUR. AND SERVING IT WITH EGG-FRIED RICE IS A GENIUS TOUCH - IT ADDS A PERFECT BALANCE OF FLAVORS AND TEXTURES! 
. And don't even get me started on the egg-fried rice - it's like a symphony of flavors! I remember when I was trying to make it myself at home, and let's just say it didn't exactly turn out as planned... turned into a weird mush 
. But now I'm hooked!